For those who haven't joined this group and are curious about what
can be found for download here, I thought it would be a good idea to
list everything right here in this post. Since you don't need to be
a member to read the forum here, you can check this out to see what
all is available here, to help you decide if you would like to join
or not.

Everything here at this group is "file-share friendly", which means
feel free to share any or all files through email with anyone you
want. Whether they are a member of this group or not doesn't matter
at all to me. All I ask is that if you can, please try to mail the
original zips with the ReadMe's included, to make things easier for
me and also the person receiving them. This also applies to
anything "created by" me alone that you find at Simslice.
(The 'gorilla walk fix' is also okay to send because Deirdre says she
doesn't mind . . .)

Any object (or patch that patches an actual buyable object or group
of objects) found here is okay to include in house zip files that
you post at your own groups or websites for free download, if you
would like to do so. (Please also include the zip with the
ReadMe.) This also applies to anything "created by" me alone that
you find at Simslice . . .

An asterisk (*) in front of the title means it can freely be cloned
by anyone who would like to use it as a base to make their own
objects that behave the same way as what the patch or object does,
as long as it's offered for free download. By "making your own
object" I'm referring to noticeably changing the appearance (since
I'm not very good at that!) No need to ask for permission - just
have fun and make something nice (or even somewhat acceptable) for
everyone to download! All I ask is credit for the hacking
modifications. No link is necessary - but it's always appreciated
if you would choose to do that!

What you will find here at this group is subject to change. If
something becomes available elsewhere, you may not find it here
anymore. (I'm a bit limited on space.) Files may also be updated
and improved upon here and there in the future. I hope to be adding
pictures of many of these files in the "Photos" section sometime
soon. (You'll find a few there right now . . .) But sadly, I can't
change the fact that you need to be a member to see the photo album.

The downloads can be divided into two categories - objects and
patches (which can all be found under "files").

PATCHES:

BUILD/BUY ENABLERS: These allow you to have access to build and buy
modes while playing in "live" mode on all your away-from-home lots.
Enablers are available for any areas you want - Downtown, Vacation,
Old Town, Studio Town, and Magic Town. MM, SS, UL, VC, and HD
versions can all be found here.

VISITOR FIXES: These solve the problem of not having enough sims
visiting your away-from-home lots. These fixes are available for
every location you would like - Downtown, Vacation, Old Town, Studio
Town, and Magic Town. If you have MM, you also have the choice
of "lite" versions which will still give you more visitors, but not
quite as many as the regular versions do. SS versions also
available, as well as UL versions for Old Town and Vacation. Many
Studio Town choices can also be found, including some that improve
upon Pristine Christine (the Studio Town janitor), causing her to be
faster, clean up the dirty dishes, and also gives her a helper . . .

VISITOR SKILLS/JOIN ACTIVITY/GORILLA WALK FIX: This solves the
trouble since Unleashed of skill-building objects that were enabled
for use by visitors not working on away-from-home lots anymore.
They will work now, along with the skill bar filling above their
heads - and skill points earned will be saved. Also includes
the "join activity upgrade" which will allow you to click on sims to
join you in many (but not all) group activity objects without
needing to greet them first. You can also click on NPCs to join you
too. Includes the fix for the "gorilla walk", which replaces the
new women's walking animations with the way they used to be before
Unleashed (courtesy of Deirdre Nox - thank you!)

*GROUP MEALS FOR EIGHT: This makes it so every group meal from a
fridge will serve eight sims! A pizza will also now serve eight.
BBQ grills will serve eight as well, if used on a home lot. Works
for every version of the game, and is fully cloneable too so you can
make your own food files that serve eight if you would like to do
that. Works for all fridges and BBQs, except a few user-made ones
that use their own custom (non-Maxis) food.

LIGHTING UPGRADE: Every Maxis light (except for two) placed outside
(and also many user-made ones) will now stay lit till 7 am. You
will also be able to place nearly any floor lamp or street light on
water, slopes, and through other objects - indoors or out. Table
lamps can be placed on floor tiles, terrain, water or slopes - as
well as a table. Ceiling lights can be placed almost anywhere, and
wall lamps can be placed over water or the pool (on a wall, of
course!) A tiny global file, but works with anything Vacation or
newer (including Deluxe or Double Deluxe).

*PLANTS, FLOWERS AND TREES: Many patches of this type, that allow
you to place them almost anywhere. Some have a few more exceptions
than others. Patches for the Superstar orange trees, Unleashed
trees and jasmine, all the Vacation shrubs, the Hot Date cherry and
urban forest "curb" trees, the House Party bamboo bush cactus and
palm tree, all the topiaries, the coped flowers, the sword fern and
juniper bush, and the trees from the original Sims. You can also
click on the Unleashed jasmine to make it drop with the walls if you
want, or click on it again to make it non-droppable.

*SKILL OBJECT PATCHES: These allow visitors to use certain skill
objects and earn skill points, which means your sims can also use
them on lots away from home and earn skill points as well. These
have also been tweaked to attract sims of certain personality types
to use them on their own. A patch for the gnome workbench (which
works for all EPs from LL onward, including Deluxe and Double
Deluxe) will also cause others to make gnomes for you, while your
send your sim to gather them up! They will also think they're
having fun doing so, but they are not. Just as well - that
motivates them to do something else afterwards! A patch for the
Guitar allows sims to reach a higher fun level than the original,
and is also fully functioning away from home. And a patch for the
SS "Face of Shakespeare" allows sims to "practice soliloquy" away
from home for charisma. It's rather popular, and visitors can also
study for skill points from the bookcase, though you'll probably
need to direct them to do so. If you have UL, SS, or MM - you'll
also need the correct version of the Visitor Skills fix for these
objects to be usable away from home . . .

Patches for the original chess table, the Hot Date stone chess
table, and the MM checkers set have been hacked even further to work
with or without a "skill fix". Both players will receive skill
points, have the skill bar filling above their heads, and you can
also invite sims (including NPCs) to join you without greeting them
first. Sims will also be more likely to play (and join) on their
own.

*GROUP ACTIVITY OBJECTS: Two Vacation patches: The Vacation Battle
Forts upgrade will allow you to have water balloon or snowball
fights on any lot - home or away from home. You can also place them
indoors if you want. These have also been hacked to allow most NPCs
to join you. (If you have UL, SS or MM you will need to also have
the skill fix/join activity patch to be able to do that.) There is
also a patch for the volleyball court, which - even though it can
still only be used at home or a Vacation lot - will allow you to
place it indoors or outdoors, or even on a floor tile. This means
you can now also place it on a sand floor tile, or upstairs, or on a
balcony . . .

*BACKLESS PAINTINGS: Patches to make all the Maxis paintings
backless, from the original Sims through Hot Date. This is so when
the walls are down, the back sides won't block your view. One zip
file for each set (by EP), so if you have them all, you would
probably want to use all of the zips. Be sure to check the
requirements first. A patch for the Unleashed paintings can also be
found. The Unleashed patch will also make those narrow green
shutters drop when the walls are down!

*POOL LADDER: This will cause everyone to change back to normal
after leaving the pool, using the original Maxis pool ladder -
except sims on the three Vacation and the two Downtown beach lots,
who will remain in their swimsuits. Sims will change back to winter
on the three Vacation snow lots - and if in Studio Town, sims on the
fame track will change back to high fashion. None of the EPs
mentioned are required to use this, though. This works with any
version of the game.

NPCs: A patch to make the Vacation maid and janitor faster and more
efficient. Empty plates won't stay on the tables for long! Also
(if you have an NPC generator) you can bring them to your home and
they'll work just as quickly for free. Also a patch for Avril, so
she'll stay female when nude - which includes simple instructions on
how to fix other NPC files yourself . . .

*OTHER PATCHES: Patches to make your Vacation and Studio Town
payphones buyable, so you can place as many on your lots as you'd
like. A patch for the HP split rail fence so you can place it on
water or slopes, and a patch for the "party lights" so you can place
them on water, slopes and through other objects.

There's a patch for the tiki torch so it will light up whenever a
sim enters the lot (like it used to do!) It will also light in the
daytime, and alert you when certain NPCs approach (see the ReadMe
file for the list). Unaffected by pets, and you can now place it on
slopes or through objects (including itself).

You'll also find patches for the SS acting stage (so it doesn't turn
the room score red), the SS fences (so they drop when the walls are
down), the HP tiki shower (so you can use it on any lot, no shooing,
and improved hygiene), and the UL and SS trash cans (so you can also
use them at home - they're "bottomless" too . . .)

And lastly - for now - a patch for the SS "stall of the stars" which
will make it so all visitors will flush after using it. (Sims at
home must have at least one neat point to do that.) It will only
need to be cleaned after every other use, and at home you may find
some of your visitors willing to clean it for you after using it!
The "in-house outhouse" has also been changed in a similar way
(except it doesn't need to be flushed!) No shooing involved now, so
you can place it outside if you want without concern (since no wall
placement is needed . . .)


ORIGINAL OBJECTS:

INTEREST PAINTING: This was quite involved to make! Now you can
adjust each of your sims' interests to any value you want (from 0 -
10). Just click on the painting, choose an interest, and choose a
number. Your sim will also let you know what he or she thinks of
your decision! Works with any version of the game (except for those
who only have the original Sims). It even works for the earlier
versions of the game that used a different system for the interests
(where you had to use the cheat box to see what they were, and
before the new HD interests were added). If you have all fifteen
interests in your game, remember to hit the "tab" key to see the
last three . . .

Plus much more: It was also made so that Townies, Vacation
tourists, and Somebodies/Anybodies will approach it on their own to
have certain interests raised. Watch them clap or maybe even dance
as their minds come alive with a new-found interest! Not a super-
cheat object - I was careful to only raise certain ones here and
there that seemed to match the sim's personality, skills, who they
are, etc, to make it more realistic. For example - you'll soon find
Somebodies talking more about Hollywood and style, or those with
high creativity more interested in music. This should help quite a
bit in attempting to start a conversation with one of them, without
having to spend time editing everyone's interests one by one. More
importantly, sims who live in the neighborhoods will not approach it
unless you direct them to - so you can set their interests however
you like, and they will stay that way unless you change them
yourself . . .

Works just as well for children as it does for adults. You can even
adjust the new "adult" interests for children as well, even though
they are not displayed in the interests panel in the game . . .

Special thanks to artist Lynne Taetzsch ( www.artbylt.com ) for
allowing the use of her "Play With Me" canvas for this object. I
was searching for a well-made painting for which I could imagine
each person who looks at it seeing something different, and found
the perfect one!

*MECHANICAL BULL: My own version, which I decided to make an object
rather than a patch - because I thought some people might like the
way the original looks and want to keep it in their game.

This looks just like the original, except all the bright base
padding has been removed. As a result, it floats above the ground a
bit. What I did in my game is place the "Flower Box" object
underneath it, and it looks like it was meant to be there. You can
also now add whatever floor tile you'd want with it (sand, maybe?)
or plant flowers around it to cushion their fall! But the best part
is that sims can earn body points away from home and have fun doing
it. I also played with the "advertising" a bit to make them more
likely to want to use it on their own. (If you have UL, SS, or MM -
you'll need the appropriate Visitor Skills fix to use it . . .)

NAPPING SOFA: My first recolor - don't be scared - it's really not
that bad! (I'll have to put up a pic so you can see.) It's the LL
retro sofa and it's green - but not a bright green - a softer almost
army green.

All the Maxis sofas are made so visitors can't nap on them, and sims
who can awaken when their energy reaches the halfway point. But
sims can nap on this one - it can be used on any lot for napping,
and sims won't awaken until their energy is nearly maxed (energy
9). Better place more than a few on your away-from-home lots - lazy
sims are attracted to this . . .

INVISIBLE OBJECTS: Quite a few in this category.
1. Walk On Water Tile. Place this on any water tile and sims can
walk on that tile. Works great for objects that can be placed on
water, but sims can't walk across (like certain bridges). Now they
can! Objects optional . . .
2. Visitor Greeting Center. When is a door not a door? Tired of
neighbors arriving lost, not knowing where the door is (especially
if you don't have one - as is the case with an outdoor lot)? Just
place one of these wherever you like, and sims will walk right up to
that spot so you can say hello . . .
3. Non-Walkable Tiles. Three to choose from. These will keep sims
from walking through those objects, trees, flowers and plants you
can place almost anywhere! The original one prohibits sims from
stepping one foot on that tile - while the other two allow them to
cut corners a bit, but not walk through the center . . .
4. Invisible Light. Quite universal. Comes in handy for "filling
in" darkened areas where placing a normal light would either just
not look right, or be in the way. It takes up no space, so you can
also place it where objects are. You can place it in the pool, and
it will light up the pool! If you place it next to a wall, it will
light up the wall. Also, at night it appears instantly lit from the
buy catalog, so you can see what you're doing . . .
5. Invisible Chair. Interesting. It does take up space - but if
you have some objects that don't, you can place them through this to
create the illusion of dining on the tulips, for example . . .
6. Invisible Counter. Goes well with the two lower hedges, or to
make surface objects appear to be floating in the air . . .
7. Invisible One-Tile Table. Actually a one-tile dining table.
Table lamps can be placed in the center of this, and sims can still
use it to dine. It's truly invisible, so don't forget where you put
it (or your sims may remind you!)
8. Invisible Surface Space Eliminator. This can be used to "fill"
(one per tile) the space on counters and other surfaces you choose,
so sims won't place objects such as bills, plates or newspapers on
them. It can be placed on counters (including dishwashers and trash
compactors), desks, tables, endtables and coffee tables.

*DECORATIVE FOUNTAIN: This is a clone of the "Poetry In Motion"
fountain from Unleashed - the "pet play fountain", which is just a
round disc placed on the ground that a stream of water rises from
and then falls. Pets and children can't play in this version, but
you can place this on water, slopes, through other objects - and
even in the pool. Basically a portable animation . . .

*CASCADING NO-WALL WATERFALL: This is a clone of the "Cascading
Corporate Water Wall" from Superstar, but has been changed not to
require a wall. You can place it anywhere (except on a surface or
through a diagonal wall). You can even click on it to make it drop
when the walls are down, or click on it again if you change your
mind. It gives off light at night too . . .

*MINIATURE PARTY LIGHTS: These are the "Nouveau Nites Party Lights"
made shorter - that is, the ones with the connecting string of
lights. I was searching for some outdoor lights that weren't too
tall or too short, and couldn't find any - so I made some . . .

*RUBBER TREE LAMP: This is a clone of the rubber tree plant, and
now has two rotation views instead of just one. There's something
hidden inside the plant that gives off a warm amber glow at night.
What could it be?

*LOWER HEDGES: Two versions of the boxwood hedge made shorter: one
at counter height, and the other slightly above. They can be placed
almost anywhere, and through almost anything. Great for hiding
objects, or just for decorative purposes. Also work well with the
invisible counter and table . . .

*BIRD OF PARADISE FLOWERS: Just the flowers, minus the vase. This
can be placed through objects, and on water or slopes. Two rotation
views, which means you can place two in the same spot and rotate the
second one for a fuller effect. Adds a colorful touch to objects at
the right height, such as bushes or even fire hydrants . . .

*SUPERSTAR POTTED PALM: This looks exactly the same as the
original, but you can place it through objects and/or almost
anywhere, except for on a surface. Originally intended to be a
patch, but I decided to clone it instead, so you can still place the
original on a surface if you'd want.

*FLOWER BOX: This is the box used for the coped flowers and
topiaries. You can place it almost anywhere, including through
other objects. You can make it appear as if flowers, plants, etc
are growing out of this box - which makes a nice border for your
gardens . . .


OBJECTS/PATCHES AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE:

SWEEPING STAIRS: Remember how Maxis made the Sweeping Stairs
(the "12 Steps in Stone"), then made a "reverse" version with the
stairs curving the opposite way - but it didn't match the original?
Remember also how you couldn't place the stairs in a corner, there
were some empty tiles that couldn't be used, and the upstairs floor
cutout was all jagged?

All those problems have been solved. I made a patch for the
original and the reverse that now allows you to place them as close
to a wall as possible on all four sides. A few unneeded empty tiles
have been removed, and you can now place objects on the three nearly-
empty ones that remain.

I got a bit creative with the upstairs floor cutout. I removed one
tile (because it seemed like too much of an opening) and discovered
I could use the original short fences (the black and white ones) and
run them diagonally down the sides, to give it a shape. I could
also use Yakko's transparent floor tile (which used to be available
at Caro's Sim Kagen, but can now be found at Caro's Essentials -
www. ) to fill in and make a somewhat diagonal opening.

Reny (of Reny's Sim Concepts) reversed both stair graphics, so you
could now have a matching set! I cloned the patches I made, and
used her graphics (with kind permission of course) to make two fixed
matching sets with all the extra features mentioned.

So in short, you can have a fixed and enhanced matching set of the
original sweeping stairs, and also a set for the reverse version
(which was completely different graphics). And, since Caro and
Yakko's allow the transparent floor tile to be freely distributed
(thank you!), I included it in each zip file for convenience, in
case you don't already have it.

They used to be available here, but I removed them to free up some
space. However, you can still find them at Reny's (
www.renysimconcept.com ). You can also find her originals there, as
well as other sweeping stairs . . .

Please note that besides the original sweeping stairs matching set,
there are two zips to choose from for the "reverse" (or opposite
direction). That's because Maxis included a reverse to the reverse
in Makin' Magic. Also note that the "opposite steps" are not
included in any expansion pack - if you don't have them, you'll need
to download them from the official Sims site. The original "12
Steps in Stone" are included in Makin" Magic, so if you don't have
those and don't have MM, you'll need to download those first as
well . . .

Well, that's it for now. If you haven't joined yet, I'm hoping this
will persuade you! I also hope you enjoy what you find here,

-Kurtis (Sir_Laphelot)